All Skyrim DLC Comes to PS3 in February at 50% Off

Since its release on all platforms more than a year ago, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has been a bit of a nuissance for PlayStation 3 owners.

The experience was marred with game-breaking bugs, some of which still haven’t been resolved. Even worse, the downloadable content that the Xbox 360 and PC crowds were enjoying was being held back. Bethesda simply couldn’t get the extra stuff working for the PS3.

Finally, after a good time spent waiting, the PlayStation 3 crowd will have access to all the DLC they’ve been missing out on. Every piece of content is bound for the PlayStation 3 in February. Here’s the word from the official Bethesda Blog:

PlayStation 3: Dragonborn will be the first add-on arriving on PSN in February. Hearthfire will release next, followed by Dawnguard, and all three should be out in February. The 1.8 update will also release, just prior to Dragonborn. We’ll keep you posted as release dates get finalized both on our end and with Sony for each and its various languages. Last but not least, each one will be 50% off during their launch week on PSN.

That bold emphasis is the work of the blog post. And, yes, the DLC that hits the PS3 next month will be 50 percent off during its initial week on the PlayStation Store.

Finally, if you count yourself among the PC crowd, Dragonborn will be available starting February 5th.

What do you think, PlayStation 3 gamers? Is this release and brief apology sale enough to get your love, or is it coming too little too late?

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]

Google moving UK operations into new, £1 billion HQ in London in 2015

According to a joint statement issued, Google has purchased a 2.4 acre plot of land in London on which to construct a brand new base for their UK operations. Construction on the new, 1 million square foot headquarters in London is scheduled to begin by the end of 2013 subject to approval, with staff moving in sometime in 2015. 

The move represents a huge investment from Google, not just financially, but in reviving part of London. The new site, located next to Kings Cross railway station, is being revived as part of a plan to create 67 acres of land filled with homes, offices and retail space. 

The deal is reportedly worth £1 billion, and will see Google amalgamate their two current London offices in Victoria and on St Giles High Street into one. The other Google offices in Manchester will reportedly remain. 

In the statement issued, Matt Brittin, VP of Google for Northern and Central Europe said:

“This is a big investment by Google. We’re committing further to the U.K. -- where computing and the web were invented. It’s good news for Google, for London and for the UK"

At a time when so many UK based businesses are facing difficult times, the investment from Google is extremely important. Equally important will be Google's increased presence in the UK. 

[Source: AndroidCentral]

Chrome Beta update fixes issues, has a new icon

Since a proper Chrome Beta channel app came into the Play Store, we knew we'd be in for some frequent updates. Alongside a new icon that has a black/white "BETA" tag on it, rather than the angled grey/white one before, this update brings many small fixes:

• 165783 - Enable compositing scrollable frames on Android
• 168368 - Chrome progress bar should be displayed as soon as the user clicks a link
• 165244 - Text handler jumps or disappears when moving
• 162486 - iframe scrolling broken

There are still some glaring bugs, as is the case with Beta releases, such as yahoo.com page links not working and some intense graphical glitches on certain devices. This is all part of the fun though, and we know what we're getting into when moving to the Beta channel of a browser.

[Source: AndroidCentral]

HMV shops could be bought by administration survivor Game

HMV could be thrown a lifeline from an unlikely source: Game. The video games retailer survived administration last year, but is considering buying branches of HMV as the music chain crashes into oblivion.

Game boss Martyn Gibbs says it's interested in buying a selected number of stores, but hasn't confirmed numbers. He probably has two that he wants but doesn't fancy anything for the third.

HMV has around 235 branches. Sources say there are around 40 HMV branches in places where there's no branch of Game, so they could well be targets.

Game isn't the only player interested in HMV. The Financial Times reports there have been as many as 50 expressions of interest in buying the company. 

4,000 jobs are at risk if the 91-year-old music and movie chain doesn't make it. Administrators Deloitte were called in at the start of the week, suspending online sales and refusing to accept gift cards -- prompting anger from the many gift card-holding customers left out of pocket. If you do have a gift card, you're at the back of the queue to get your money back from HMV, but if they were bought with a credit or debit card you could get your money back; check out our guide to your legal rights and what you can do.

Game has itself circled the drain in recent times, entering administration last March and closing a whopping 300 stores. The gaming chain was bought by investment firm OpCapita and is now in much better shape; after a better holiday season than expected, it's set to hit this year revenue targets.

Not every shop is so lucky: Comet, Jessops and Blockbuster have all entered administration in the last few weeks.

[Source: CNET]

Sony to Abandon DualShock Controller for PlayStation 4, says Source

The DualShock controller that’s been the mainstay of Sony’s home consoles since 1997 (it hit North America in 1998) might have reached the end of its legacy with the PlayStation 3. According to a “senior games studio source working on an upcoming Sony game,” as per CVG, Sony’s newest console features a controller design apart from the DualShock line.

CVG further muses that some rumors point towards a new Sony controller modeled after the look of the PS Vita. That means a touchscreen in the center and motion sensors packed into the device. They also suggest that Sony’s hard at work with adding biometric readers to their new input unit.That last bit has been rumored for a long time now.

Given the Bluetooth nature of the DualShock 3, I find it hard to believe that Sony’s potentially named PlayStation 4 would abandon the controllers entirely. I wouldn’t be surprised if the PS4 features a new line of controllers, but also allows for DualShock 3 connectivity specifically for the arena of backwards compatibility. Plus, gamers love options, and the ability to use classic DualShock controllers in new games would be a major selling point.

We’ll be following the PlayStation 4′s inevitable unveiling closely, and we’ll be sure to hit any controller highlights. The DualShock design, for a lot of gamers, is one of the best this medium’s ever seen.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]

Sony Xperia Tablet Z Expected to Launch in Japan on NTT DoCoMo

We recently caught wind of a new Sony tabled dubbed the “Xperia Tablet Z” and now there’s already word that the device may be unveiled in Japan in the coming days. NTT DoCoMo recently listed the slate on a product page, but has since pulled any mention of the tablet. Sure, it may have been mentioned, but we have a feeling this is a product that will make its official debut during Mobile World Congress next month.

What can you expect when it finally does hit store shelves? Leaks suggest it will pack a quad-core Snapdragon S4 processor clocked at 1.5GHz, a full HD 1920 x 1200-pixel resolution display, 32GB of storage,a large 6,000mAh battery and 2GB of RAM. 

Those specs are all competitive with high-end tablets, so don’t expect a budget price point.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]

Kickstarter Project Adds Canon L-Series Level Environment Protection To Any DSLR Lens

I’ve got a lot of Canon gear, but only one L-series lens of my very own, and that’s also the only one that features a rubber gasket where the lens mounts to the body to keep out dust and moisture. It’s a shame that it isn’t included in any other lenses (including some pricey Sigma glass I own), because it’s a relatively inexpensive component and one that can really help prolong the life of your body and lens. That’s why a new Kickstarter project called Dust Donut is such a great idea.

The project, from Joshua Tree, Calif.-based photographer Tyler Sterbentz, adds basic weather sealing to any Canon EF Mount lens (including third-party offerings from Sigma, Tamron and the like) starting at just $20 for a single unit pre-order pledge. That covers about 75 percent of the lenses available from Canon itself for EF-mount bodies, according to Sterbentz, and gets rid of the need for photographers to use lens covers and skins to achieve the same effect.

[Source: TechCrunch]

Apple's 2013 Product Roadmap Predictions: Multiple iPhones, Retina iPad Mini, All-Retina MacBook Pros

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has a very good track record in predicting Apple's product plans, has issued a new research report outlining his expectations for Apple's 2013 product launches. Kuo believes that Apple will focus its launches on the third quarter of this year, with a number of updates throughout the company's various product families.

[Source: MacRumors - Click here to read the full story]

LEAKED BLACKBERRY 10 SALES MANUAL REVEALS NEW IMAGES AND DETAILS

The buzz continues to mount leading up to the January 30th unveiling of Research In Motions’s (RIMM) next-generation BlackBerry 10 platform, but we’re not sure how much is left to learn. Many BlackBerry 10 features have already been announced, we’ve seen RIM’s first two next-generation handsets — the BlackBerry Z10 and the BlackBerry X10 — a number times, and now Rogers’ internal sales manual for BlackBerry 10 devices has leaked thanks to CrackBerry. The manual is packed full of images and it also confirms some specs reported a few months ago, and the full document is embedded at the source link below. RIM’s next-generation operating system and handsets will be unveiled during a press conference on January 30th, and BGR will be on hand reporting live.

[Source: BGR]

So Long Windows Live Messenger!

After loyally serving its users for more than 13 years, Microsoft finally bit the bullet anddecided that it will retire its Windows Live Messenger service on March 15 this year. The plan to shut down Messenger was already on the table in November 2012, but the exact date had not yet been announced. Now, the software giant officially notified its users by email that from March 15 on, Windows Live Messenger will no longer be ‘live.’

Windows Live Messenger, more commonly known as MSN Messenger, was launched way back in July 1999. Before the social media era, it was once one of the most widely used online chat services. As the years rolled on, more functionality was added to the chat, allowing users to share pictures, make video calls and play online games. However, having to compete with Facebook Chat, Skype, Google Talk and iMessage, its popularity has waned significantly.

When Microsoft coughed up a whopping $8.5 billion in 2011 to purchase Skype from eBay and its other shareholders, it became clear that Windows Live Messenger’s days were numbered. With Skype, users can not only chat, call and make video calls but they will alsoreceive additional benefits which they didn’t have with the good old Messenger: screen sharing, calling to landlines and group video conferencing. Furthermore, Skype has a broader device support for all platforms, including iPad and Android tablets. Not to mention that Microsoft canmonetise its users through top-up services making Skype the natural commercial choice.

Microsoft will be offering the Windows Live Messenger users a migration service to easily make the transition to Skype. An upgrade button was added to the newest Messenger desktop app. When clicking on it, it automatically uninstalls Messengers and replaces it with Skype.However, some of those who already made the transition reported that the transfer of contacts was not successful. Skype want to make the transition as smoothly as possible, advertising for additional technical support jobs to join its team in preparation for March 15. Those who already have an existing Skype account can easily merge it with their Messenger account.

So, it looks like you have approximately two months to keep using your beloved Messenger. Alternatively, you could migrate to China where it will still be possible to login on Windows Live Messenger, because the technology is hosted by a local service provider.

So long Messenger, long live Skype!

Instapaper updated with pagination, tilt scrolling, and more

Instapaper for Android has been updated to version 1.2, bringing bug fixes, performance enhancements, and a couple new features. We're not sure which bugs and performance issues were addressed, but we do know which features were added.

Pagination allows you to scroll an entire page versus line by line. If you're used to this type of scrolling, it's quite nice in any app that's built for reading. It's now available in the settings menu for those who want to give it a shot. In addition, you can enable tilt scrolling, which is just what it sounds like -- tilt your device to scroll the page. If you're the type who likes gestures and such, this one is for you.

On the visual side, Instapaper now supports in-line footnotes, and a new sepia mode that should prove easy on your tired eyes, 

Probably the biggest new feature is actually called The Feature -- a section of curated, editor recommended articles. While not for everyone, often times it's nice to have a place where quality content is the norm. 

Grab the update from Google Play, or install Instapaper ($2.99; Android 2.3.3 or higher) from the link above.

[Source: Android Central]

HMV stops online orders as potential buyers circle

HMV has powered down its HMV.com website, halting online orders entirely, as the longstanding retailer enters administration.

Although its high street shops are still open, HMV says its website "has been suspended following the appointment of the Joint Administrators", going on to confirm, "No purchases can be made online until further notice."

HMV is continuing its post-Christmas blue cross sale in an effort to generate more cash, but for the time being it seems any bargains you snap up will have to happen over the till.

It's possible HMV will reopen its site further into the administration process, though when now-extinct retailer Comet went the same way last year (also turning to administrators Deloitte), it similarly put the kibosh on online orders.

The 91-year-old company has sparked anger by refusing to accept gift cards or vouchersfollowing the news that it was looking for a buyer. If you had an outstanding order with its online service, it's unclear what will happen to your purchase -- I've contacted Deloitte about this, and also to ask whether the site will reopen, and I'll update this story if I hear back.

HMV could have a future, meanwhile, as Deloitte says it's been contacted by parties interested in buying the ailing chain, Sky News reports. It's not clear who would be keen to snap up the firm, but as a major high-street name HMV's business could hold some appeal, even though the existing management wasn't able to make enough cash to keep it afloat.

[Source: CNET]